How did India fare at the Junior Hockey World Cup 2021?

The hosts finished at the fourth spot in a tournament that had both highs and lows for them.

India came into the Junior Hockey World Cup 2021 as the defending champions after winning it in 2016. The pressure was high on the hosts to repeat their performance from the previous edition. 

India began the tournament on a disappointing by losing 4-5 to France in the first game. However, the outfit found its stride by beating Canada (13-1) and Poland (8-2) respectively in the next two fixtures to get into the knockouts. India came up against Belgium in the quarter-final and won the contest with a 1-0 win. The semi-final against Germany was the toughest fixture and India succumbed to a 4-2 defeat to face France in the third-place playoff. 

India lost for the second time in the Junior Hockey World Cup to France as the latter grabbed the bronze medal with a 3-1 win. Missing out on a podium finish would certainly hurt the players but it gives them the motivation to continue their development.

Here is a look at India’s performance at the Junior Hockey World Cup.

Top Performers

Sanjay

Sanjay was India’s top scorer at the Junior Hockey World Cup with eight goals to his name. He is one of the most powerful drag-flickers of his generation and has a very promising career ahead of him.

All eight of his goals at the Junior Hockey World Cup came in three Pool fixtures. He opened the scoring with a hat-trick against France and followed it with another three goals against Canada. Finally, he scored a brace against Poland, taking his tally to eight goals in three matches.

Araijeet Singh Hundal

Araijeet Singh Hundal managed to score five goals, which was the joint second-highest tally for an Indian player. The forward scored a hat-trick against Canada and a brace against Poland, guiding his team to important wins. Hundal showed good signs with his circle penetrations and movement in the attacking phase of the game. 

Shardanand Tiwari

Shardanand Tiwari scored a vital goal in the Junior Hockey World Cup quarter-final against Belgium which helped India reach the semi-final. The defender could be a good option in future penalty corner situations as he showed good composure in the situation.

However, a lot of work needs to be done on the defensive side of things. Much like other defenders in the team, he was slow in tracing the movement from the opposing attackers. Indian defenders were weak in marking their opponents and often sat too deep inviting a lot of extra pressure. 

Top Performances

Belgium 0-1 India, quarterfinal

Canada 1-13 India, Pool B fixture

India 8-2 Poland, Pool B fixture

Manager’s Report Card

Graham Reid’s performance as the manager was full of ups and downs, symbolic of the team’s overall performance. In the initial stages of the Junior Hockey World Cup, the Australian struggled to find an ideal combination in the team. As the matches went on, Reid had a clearer idea of the starting lineup and the overall balance. The changes by the tactician saw an immediate improvement in games against Canada and Poland. His tactics against Belgium were also on point as the Indian team did not let the European giants score in the quarter-final. 

There were several positives to take away from the tournament for Graham Reid. Under his guidance, the Indian Colts attacked with a lot of versatility. The outfit could have scored more goals if the execution was better. The defensive performance was underwhelming but Graham Reid’s expertise certainly helped the youngsters put up a brave display. 

Lessons to be Learned

India took away several positives from the Junior Hockey World Cup 2021. Finishing fourth is a good achievement but the team should not sit on their laurels. India were the defending champions and had the advantage of playing at home. Graham Reid’s initial lack of a clear idea about the team was unforeseen. Despite several positives in the attack, the real reason for the team’s downfall was their defence. 

Forwards like Uttam Singh and Sanjay showed good potential and must be proud of their performances. The tournament was a great measurement of Indian youngsters overall and the future is very promising for them. 

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